Apparatus for drawing butt-weld pipe.



Patented Dec; I6. 1902.- P. PATTERSON. APPARATUS FOR DRAWING BUTT WELDPIPE.

(Application fllecl'May- 14, 1901. Banawed Jan. 2, 1902.)

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(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER PATTERSON, OF MCKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL TUBECOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR DRAWING BUTT-WELD PIPE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 715,857, dated December16, 1902 Application filed May 14, 1901.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER PATTERSON, a resident of McKeesport, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Apparatus for Drawing Butt-Weld Pipe; and I dohereby declare the following 'to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof.

My invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture of butt-weldtubing. It is especially applicable to the manufacture of buttweldtubing from flat strips or plates, and I will describe it in connectiontherewith; but it is to be understood that it is not limited thereto,but may be used with any suitable tube-blanks, such as U-shaped or liketubular blanks.

In the practice which has heretofore prevailed the blanks in the form offlat plates are generally charged into the furnace at a speed somewhatgreater than the speed at which they are Withdrawn. It is the object ofthe present invention to provide for increasing the speed of withdrawal,so that the speed of withdrawal may closely approximate the chargingspeed. One of the difficulties in the way of greatly increasing thespeed of withdrawal is the danger that the jaws of the tongs may losetheir hold on the plate when they are first subjected to the jerkincident to the engagement of the hook with the drawchain or of thereciprocating drawing apparatus with the power mechanism. When suchengagement takes place, the tongs are compelled to overcome the staticinertia of the plate lying in the furnace, and the wider or longer theplate the greater is the amount of inertia to be overcome. Another stageof danger in the operation is when the forward end of the plate firstencounters the weldingbell. The shock of impact at that time, if thespeed of drawing is too great, may result in the disengagement of thetongs from the plate. Another difficulty in the way of greatlyincreasing the speed of withdrawal Where a continuously-runningdraw-chain is employed has arisen from the fact that the connection ofthe pulling-hook with the continuously-running draw-chain has to be of-Renewed January 2, 1902. Serial No. 88,067. (No model.)

fected manually-that is to say, it is the business of the attendant,commonly called the buggy-boy, to connect the pulling-hook with thereins of the tongs and to then insert the prongs of the pulling-hookinto a link of the moving chain. In view of these difficulties thepractically-permissible speed of the withdrawal has been limited to amaximum of about four hundred (400) feet per minute when butt-weldingsmaller-sized pipe and of about three hundred (300) feet per minute whenbutt-welding larger-sized pipe. To overcome these difficulties andthereby permit the time of the withdrawal operation to be diminished,the present invention consists, generally stated, in the employment, incombination with the furnace, Welding-bell, &c., of a differential-speeddrawing apparatus, which by means of suitable driving mechanism isoperated at the desired moderate speed while the blank is beingWithdrawn and until after the front end of the blank has entered thewelding-bell, at which stage in the operation driving mechanism ofhigher speed is brought into action, as a result of which the remainderof the pipe is drawn and buttwelded at the higher speed.

One of the special advantages of the invention is that it permitscontinuous butt-welding ata single operation of blanks long enough tomake when transversely severed two or more pipes of standard length, asdescribed and claimed in my application filed October 5, 1900, SerialNo. 52,132. Such transverse severing affords two finished ends ofstandard length not required to be trimmed, so diminishing the scrap,because there are no crop ends to be removed where the long pipe issevered, and, further, there is a large increase of output, because theoperations for feeding and withdrawing such double-length pipe arepractically the same as for a single length pipe, and the double-lengthpipe can be drawn in very little more time than that occupied in drawinga single-length pipe.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willdescribe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan view, of myimproved apparatus.

I employ any suitable welding-furnace of suitable length, according tothe length of tubing to be formed, employing therefor with double-lengthpipe a furnace practically double the length of the ordinary furnacewhen in use, the furnace 1 being in the neighborhood of forty feet inlength and having a hearth 2, which is of sufficient width to receivesix or more plates or other blanks to be welded into tubing. The furnaceis preferably of the regenerative type, heated by gas, eithermanufactured or natural. It has the charging-opening 3 at the rear endand the drawing-opening 4 at the forward end, and it may either becharged by hand or by any suitable mechanical charging means.

In front of the furnace is located any suitable drawing apparatus, thatillustrated in the present case being the draw-bench 5, which is adaptedto move in front of the furnace, so as to be brought into line with anyone of the plates or blanks lying on the hearth thereof, the draw-benchillustrated being pivoted, as at 6, and mounted on suitable standards orrollers 7, so as to swing into line with the blanks in the furnace.Where such a draw-bench is employed, it is preferably provided with acontinuouslyrunning drawchain, and as my invention can be as wellillustrated in connection with such continuously-running chain as with areciprocating drawing mechanism I will describe that form of apparatusas illustrating means suitable for carrying out the invention. Suchdrawbench has at its forward end the bell-holder 8 for receiving thewelding-bell 9, as is common in the art, and with a continuously-runningdraw-chain 10, which passes over a sprocket-wheel 11 at the forward endof the bench and a sprocket-wheel12 upon the driveshaft 13. Thedriving-shaft is adapted to be driven at a variable speed, so as toimpart variable speeds to the draw-chain, and this can be accomplishedin any suitable way, that illustrated in the drawings being by means oftwo electric motors, both geared to the driving-shaft 13. One motor 14has its armature-shaft 15 geared to the driving-shaft 13 by suitablegears, such as the wheels 13*, while in line with said armatureshaft isthe armature-shaft 16 of another motor 17, which is adapted to becoupled with the armature-shaft 15 by means of a frictionclutchsuch, forexample, as the electric clutch 18 illustrated-which is adapted to beenergized by a current coming from anysuitable source of power throughthe conductors 19 to said clutch, said circuit being controlled by theswitch 20, the blade of which is connected to the reciprocating rod 21,which is suitably mounted on standards and hangers 22 on the side of thedraw-bench and in position to be readily grasped by the buggy-boy inorder to open and close said switch. By means of the motors illustratedor other suitable mechanism the driving-shaft 13 is designed to benormally driven by the motor 14 at such relatively slow speed as willprevent undue shock in overcoming the static inertia of the plate in thefurnace and on the first contact of the same with the weldingbellandwill permit the insertion by the buggy-boy of the hook in thedraw-chain, while the other motor and its armature-shaft 16 are designedto be driven at a much higher speed, so as when coupled to the shaft 15by the clutch 18 to increase the speed of the draw-chain and provide foran increase in speed of the blank in passing through the welding-bellafter it has entered the same. Where motors are employed, as illustratedin the drawings, the motor 14 may be arranged to be driven, for example,at one hundred and seventy-five revolutions per minute, the gearingconnections imparting from the same a speed of about three hundred feetper minute to the draw-chain, while the motor 17 may be designed to runat about three hundred revolutions per minute, so that when connected upwith the driving-shaft it will impart a speed of about five hundred feetper minute tothedraw-chain. Both motorsarearranged to run continuously;but ordinarily the electric clutch 18 is not energized, so that thedraw-chain will be driven by the motor 14 at the lower speed abovereferred to. When it is desired to operate the chain at the higherspeed, through the electric or like clutch, connection is made from themore rapidly-running motor 17 to the draw-chain, so imparting theincreased speed to the same, the armature-shaft of the slower-runningmotor traveling idly when the clutch connection is made atthe higherspeed and the high-speed motor imparting the necessary speed and powerfor the drawing of the pipe. In accomplishing this result whereelectrical motors are employed, as shown, in order to prevent theslow-speed motor from acting as a generator it is difierentially woundso as to oifer no resistance to the driving of the chain by thehigh-speed motor.

In practicing the invention with apparatus such as that above describedthe plates or blanks 23 are charged into the furnace in any suitableway, the invention being applicable to the welding of U-shaped or likeblanks as well as to the welding of flat plates, though it is especiallyadvantageous in the welding of the fiat plates, because of the greaterfriction within the welding-bell caused by the turning up of the flatplate into tubular form. In the preferred use of the invention and whereit is employed in the making of double-length pipe the plates or otherblanks are fed to the furnace by any suitable charging mechanism or byhand, the speed of charging being greater than the normal speed of thedraw-chain,andgenerally being nearlydouble the normal speed of suchchain. As soon as one of the plates is at the proper heat for drawing,which the welder can determine by examination of the forward end of theplate, he connects the drawing-tongs or other pulling device to theplate and passes the weldingbell over the same, and where thecontinuously running draw chain is the pulling power employed, asillustrated in the apparatus shown, the buggy-boy by means of his hookconnects the tongs to the draw-chain while that chain is traveling atits normal or slower speed. As soon as the front end of the blank is inthis way drawn into the welding-belland the welding operation commencesthe buggy-boy or other operator by means of any suitable operatingmechanism, such as the reciprocating rod 21, connects up the highspeedmotor with the driving-shaft, such as through the electric clutch 18,causing the draw-chain to travel at the higher speed, approximatelytwice that of its normal speed, and as the increase of speed is only thedifference between the two speeds of the drawchain there is little shockin passing from one to the other and there is little or no liability ofthe pulling of the tongs or other drawingtool from the heated pipethough a high-speed is obtained in the drawing of the pipe. The staticinertia of the blank lying on the hearth is thus overcome by a pullingforce at comparatively slow speed, and the plate travels at this speeduntil its forward end strikes the welding-bell, which on account of theslow speed will be without serious shock, while the increased speed canbe imparted to the plate gradually through the action of thefrictionclutch and without serious jar. The electric clutch or likefriction-clutch necessarily acts in a yielding manner, and so providesfor passing from the lower to the higherspeed gradually andprogressively and without shock or jar. Furthermore, the electric motoracts yieldingly, so that there is no sudden shock in overcoming thestatic inertia of the tube-blank in the furnace nor when the end of saidblank strikes the bell nor in changing from the slower to the higherspeed. In so providing for drawing the pipe at high speed I am enabledto considerably increase the output of the furnace, because of thequicker travel of the heated blank from the furnace and through thewelding-bell, so making it possible to more quicklyintroduce anotherblank into its place for heating, the fresh blank being, if desired,charged before the heated blank has been entirely withdrawn from thefurnace. I am also able to make the time of charging and the time ofwithdrawing practically balance each other, and

so give almost the ideal conditions forheating the plates. On account ofthe increased speed of drawing in making double-length pipe I overcomein great measure the liability of the stretching or sagging of the pipeduring the drawing operation. In this way I overcome seriousdifficulties in the welding of double-length pipe and so aid inincreasing the output and reducing the relative 1abor and cost. Whileaccomplishing these desirable ends, I avoid the liability of the formingof cobbles and overcome the mechanical difficulty of making connectionbetween the tongs and draw-bench experienced in using a high-speeddraw-chain.

In the practice of my invention it is obvious that any suitable form ofmechanism may be employed forimpartingthedifferentspeeds to the blankduring welding, for connecting the tongs to the drawing mechanism, andfor generating the difierent speeds in the drawing mechanism; also, thatwhere the continuously-running draw-chain illustrated is used the shaftsfor imparting the different speeds may be driven by any suitableconnections and that any suitable clutch for changing the speed may beused.

WVhile the invention has particular advantages in connection with thebutt-welding of the tubing by charging the cold plates into the rear ofthe furnace and withdrawing them from the front thereof, it can be usedwith tubular skelp, and where the blanks are charged in the same endfrom which they are withdrawn some of the advantages above describedapply to the tubing when made by these processes.

The method of drawing butt-Weld tubing at a variable speed is notclaimed in this application, but is claimed in an application filed May14, 1901, Serial No. 60,138.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In apparatus for forming butt-weld tubing, the combination with asuitable furnace for heating the tube-blanks, a bell and drawingmechanism in front of the same, mechanism for actuating the drawingmechanism at a relatively slow speed until the blank has entered thebell, and means for then increasing the speed of the actuatingmechanism, whereby the remainder of the tube is drawn through the bellat a relatively higher speed.

2. In apparatus for forming butt-weld tubing, the combination with asuitable furnace for heating the tube-blanks, of a bell and drawingmechanism in front of the same,

yielding or elastic mechanism for actuating the drawing mechanism at arelatively slow speed until the blank has entered the bell, and meansfor then yieldingly increasing the speed of the actuating mechanism,whereby the remainder of the tube is drawn through the bell at arelatively higher speed.

3. In apparatus for forming butt-weld tubing, the combination with asuitable furnace for heating the tube-blanks, of a bell and drawingmechanism in front of the same so mounted as to be capable of movinglaterally in front of the furnace, mechanism for actuating the drawingmechanism at a relatively slow speed until the. blank has entered thebell, and means for then increasing the speed of the actuatingmechanism, whereby the remainder of the tube ,is drawn through the bellat a relatively higher speed.

4. In apparatus for forming butt-weld tubing, the combination with asuitable furnace for heating the tube-blanks, of a bell and drawingmechanism in front of the same, mechanism for actuating the drawingmechanism at a relatively slow speed until the blank has entered thebell, means for then increasing the speed of the actuating mechanism,and an operating-rod extending along the drawing mechanism forcontrolling said speed-increasing means.

5. In apparatus for forming butt-weld tubing,the combination with asuitable furnace for heating the tube-blanks, of a draw-bench in frontof the same, a bell mounted thereon, a continuously-running draw chainon said bench, a hook for connecting the tube-blanks to said draw-chain,mechanism for driving said draw-chain at a relatively slow speed untilthe blank has entered the bell, and means for then increasing the speedof said driving mechanism, whereby the remainder of the tube is drawnfrom the bell at a relatively higher speed.

6. In apparatus for forming butt-weld tubing, the combination with asuitable furnace for heating the tube'blankspf drawing mechanism infront of the same, two sources of power of different speeds, and meansfor connecting either of said sources of power to said drawingmechanism.

7. In apparatus for forming butt-weld tubing, the combination with asuitable furnace for heating the tube-blanks, of drawing mechanism infront of the same, two shafts which are driven at different speeds, oneof said shafts being permanently geared to the drawing mechanism, and afriction-clutch for connecting the other shaft to said drawingmechanism.

S. In apparatus for forming butt-weld tubing, the combination with asuitable furnace for heating the tube-blanks, of drawing mechanism infront of the same, an electric motor having its armature-shaft connectedto said drawing mechanism, and means for increasing the speed of thearmature-shaft of said motor.

9. In apparatus for forming butt-weld tubing, the combination with asuitable furnace for heating the tube-blanks, of drawing mechanism infront of the same, two motors of different speeds one of which ispermanently geared to the drawing mechanism, and an electric clutch forcoupling the other motor to said draw-chain.

10. In apparatus for forming butt-weld tubing, the combination with asuitable furnace for heating the tube-blanks, of a draw-bench in frontof the same, its draw-chain, an electric motor having its armature-shaftconnected to said draw-chain, and means for increasing the speed of thearmature-shaft of said motor.

11. In apparatus for forming butt-weld tubing, the combination with asuitable furnace for heating the tube-blanks, of a draw-bench in frontof the same, its draw-chain, two motors of different speeds one of whichis permanently geared to the draw-chain, and an electric clutch forcoupling the other motor to said draw-chain.

12. In apparatus for forming butt-weld tubing, the combination with asuitable furnace for heating the tube-blanks, of drawing mechanism infront of the same, two sources of elastic power of different speeds andyield ing means for connecting said sources of power.

In testimony whereof I,the said PETER PAT- TERSON, have hereunto set myhand.

PETER PATTERSON.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES I. KAY, ROBERT C. TOTTEN.

